Charitable Giving

We work with individuals, families and businesses owners who have done well to do good for their communities through giving.  We will assist you, the donor, with programs that offer you the opportunity to address your philanthropic goals while taking advantage of potential tax benefits. 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows for the creation of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organizations for such objectives as relief for the poor, advancement of education and the combating of community deterioration, to name a few.

These tax-exempt organizations manifest in one of two ways:

Public Charities

• Must receive broad financial support from the public
• Donors receive the most favorable tax treatment from the IRS
• Donations are irrevocable and the charity assumes full fiduciary responsibility over the assets
• Gift can be unrestricted or restricted for a specific cause or program 

Private Foundation

• Generally created by a single donor - usually an individual, family or business
• Investments are made to generate income, which is then dispersed according to the agency's charitable priorities
• Requires ongoing administration and bookkeeping
• Makes grants to other charities as opposed to direct funding of their own programs

If you have a desire to give, need a tax deduction, want to offset gains on appreciated assets or just do good, consider giving: 

Directly to a charity (public)

• Donor has complete control over which cause/charity to support
• Receive immediate beneficial tax treatment from the IRS
• Ideal for gifts of less than $10,000
• Once donation is made, donor losses all control of assets 

Donor Advised Funds

• Require no start-up cost and are inexpensive to maintain
• Allow donors to recommend the charitable organizations and causes to be considered for grants
• Receive beneficial tax and operational treatment from the IRS
• Great way to support multiple charities over many years
• Donors have input regarding investing of donated assets 

Planned Giving 

The five basic categories of planned giving tools that generate billions of dollars for charities each year are:

1. Non-cash gifts - These include real es­tate, stocks, bonds, business interests, art, and other assets that have been accumu­lated by donors over their lifetimes.
2. Bequests - These are gifts of assets or actual cash gifts from both wills and living trusts. These typically are not received by the charity until the person dies.
3. Split-interest trusts - These are Chari­table Remainder Trusts (CRT) and Chari­table Lead Trusts (CLT).
4. Charitable Gift Annuities - These are legal agreements between the charity and the donor whereby the donor gives the charity a sum of money (normally in excess of $25,000) in exchange for a contract with the charity to pay income to the donor(s) for their lifetime monthly, quarterly or annually.
5. Other - Various techniques such as life estates or bargain sales which have a de­ferred time period or a unique transfer of a large asset at less than current fair market value.

These are only a few highlights of the benefits of the most common charitable giving vehicles. Please contact us and we can review the options that might fit your philanthropic needs.  In addition, these strategies should be fully coordinated with the guidance of your tax and legal/estate professionals prior to implementation.

“A society grows when (people) plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”   - Greek Proverb

 Are you able and ready to do good?  Let's talk!

 Sources: IRS, American Endowment Foundation, The Financial Awareness Foundation, LPL Financial/Private Trust Company (PTC).